Stamp-affixing machine.



No. 815,138. I .PATENTED MAR. 13, 1906. i W. F. BERNHEISEL.

1' STAMP. AFFIXING MACHINE. APPLIOATIQIT FILED MAY 29. 1905.

sums-snm 1.

l g r iii-r: 'ill *RTE l "if,

on man fsTATirs PATENT oFF-ics.. WILLIAM F. BERNHESEL, OF WHEELIG, WEST VIRGINIA.

y STAMP-AFFixlNG MACHINE. l

Specification of Letters Patent;

Patented March 13, 1906i Application led May 29, 1905. Serial No. 262,822..

Td all whom it may con/cern:

V Be it known that I, WiLLIAM F. BERNHEI-y `SEL, a citizen ofthe` United States, residing at Wheeling, in the `county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Aiixing Machines, of which the following is a specification. Y V i This invention has relation to stamp-.aflixing machines; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts, as

lhereinafter shown andv described.

The object of the invention is to provide 'a stamp-affixing machine adapted to be operated by hand and which may be supplied or loaded with stamps of proper denomination whichare automatically'attached to' letters by the depression of a handle.

The machine consists, primarily, of a reciprocating tank which is provided in its bottom with a felt or other porous substance,

through which watervcontained Within the tank percolates. Adjacent to the said tank is a receptacle for holding the stamps, and a roller of felt or'other similar material is so mounted as to pass against the under side of the felt containedin the bottom of the tank and to pass against the gum side of the lowest stamp in the receptacle, thereby moisteny view of the machine.

3 3 ofFig. 1.l Fig. 4isan edge elevation ofk the machine. Fig. 5 is 'a verticalsectional Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the stamp-retaining compartment. Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the stamp-retaining compartment; and Fig. 8 is aside elevation, partly in section, of the lower portion of one-of the arms which supportthe moistening-roller. .The side walls 1 of the stamp-afiixing machine are connected togetherat their upper ends bythe horizontal piece 2, and the vcollar 3 is located at the middle of said horizontal piece. A Vtube 4 passes through the collar 3 and is secured at lts lower end to the recipro cating portion 5. The handle 6 is attached 55 to the upper end of the tube 4 by means of the screw A"7 and the coil-spring 8 is housed within the handle 6 and bears at its lower end against the upperend of the collar 3 and at its upper end against the said handle 6. The 6o' tension' of the spring 8 is suchas to have a tendency to maintainthe handle 6 and its at tachments in anl elevated position. The reciprocating portion 5 is provided on each side with lugs 9, which pass through the elon- 6 5 gated slots'lO of the side walls 1 and serve as guides for said reciprocating portion 5. The said reciprocating portion 5 is provided at one side with the water-tank 11, in the bottom ofwhich islocated the felt 12 or other 7o suitable orous material. The lower surface of the-sald material 12 is inclined down. Vere tically under the handle 6 a reciprocating por- 'tion 5 is provided with recess 13, which is` adapted to receive the stamp-holder 14. The 7 5 stamp-holder is preferably made rectangular in horizontal section and of two parts, which are hinged together at 15 and provided WithaV a clasp 16. The follower 17 is located in the `stamp-retainer 14, andthe lower end of the 8o screw 18 bears against the top of the follower 17ik The ratchet-disk 19 is provided with a central perforation which is .threaded and receives the screw v18. The saiddisk 19 is provided at its periphery'with the ratchets 85 20. The said screw 18 is adapted to pass up into the interior of the tube y4, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The vertical sides of the reciprocating portion 5 are provided with the flat springs 22, which arev adapted to hold the 9o stamp-receptacle 14. The stamps 21 are held within the said receptacle 14 by means of the spring-wires 21.

The arms 2 3 are fulcrumed at the points 24 to the pins 26. The sides of the reciprocatj 95 ing portionl 5 andy the upper portionslof the said arms 23 are bent back at an angle and are provided with the `elongated slots 25, which receive the pins 26,attached tothe side walls 1. A s shown in Fig. 8, the lower roo portions of the arms 23 are hollow and receive the b ars 27 between the lower ends of I and at its other end to the arm 23.

which the roller 28 is journaled. The coilspring 29 is attached at one end to'the bar 27 The tension of the said spring 29 1s such as to have a tendency to keep the bar 27 as much as possible within the arm 23. The roller 28 is made of felt or other suitable porous substance. The lever 30 is fulcrumed at the point 31 to the side of the reciprocating portion 5. The upper end of the said lever 30 is provided with the spring-actuated pawl 32, which is adapted to engage the ratchets 2O of the disk 19. The flat spring 33 bears against the lower end of the said lever 30. The intermediate portion of the said lever 30 is located within the path of one of the pins 26.

The operation of the device is as follows: The stamps 21 are placed within the stampholder 14, which is then inserted in the recess 13 in the position as shown lin Fig. 5 of the drawings, the stamps being retained in the said holder against the attraction by gravity by the wires 21. The normal position of the parts is as illustrated in Fig. 1 when the roller 28 is under the material 12 of the tank 11. By depressing the handle 6 the arms 23 swing on the pivots 24 by reason of the pins 26 passing along the elongated slots 25, and the roller 28 is carried along the lower surface 12 and against the gum side of the bottom stamp in the holder 14. Thus the said bottom stamp is moistened, and as the portion 5 descends the said stamp is carried down and stuck to the envelop, which has previously been placed under the machine. The parts are then in the position as shown in Fig. 2. At the same time that the portion 5 descends the pin 26 engages the lever 30 and moves the same on its pivotal point 31 against the tension of the spring 33. The pawl 32 of the said lever 30 engages the ratchets of the disk 19 and causes the said4 disk to describe a partial rotation, which operates upon the screw 18 and moves the same down slightly, so that the follower 17 will follow the stamps and take up the space made by the emission of the bottom stamp, which has just been stuck to the letter. f When the pressure is relieved from the handle 6, the coil-spring S causes the parts to assume a normal position, and the roller 28 in passing under the lower end of the stampeholder 14 gives the bottom stamp retained within said holder an application of moisture. The parts are then in position to be again operated, as above described.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A stamp-afh'xing machine consisting of a suitable support having a reciprocating portion located therein, a means for reciprocating said portion, a water-tank carried by said portion and having its bottom closed by porous material, a stamp-retainer located ad]- acent said water-tank and adapted to holdy the stamps and a roller so mounted as to pass over the porous material against the exposed side of the bottom stamp in the stamp-rctainer as the said reciprocating portion is caused to descend.

2. A stamp-afhaling machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located in said frame, a means for reciprocating said portion, a water-tank carried by said reciprocating portion and having its bottom portion closed by a porous material, a stampholder also carried by said reciprocating portion, a roller having a porous surface adapted to pass over the porous material closing the lower end of the tank and against the exposed side of the bottom stamp retained within the stamp-holder.

3. Astamp-aflixing machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located within the frame, a means for reciprocating said portion, a tank carried by said reciprocating portion, a stamp-retainer adapted-to be attached to the said reciprocating portion and to holdu the stamps, a follower located within said stamp-retainer and a roller adapted to pass from the tank under the said stamp-retainer.

4. A stamp-aihxing machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located within said frame and .a means for reciprocating said portion, a tank carried by said reciprocating portion, a stamp-retainer adapted to be attached to said reciprocating portion, springs located in the sides of said stamp-retainer and adaptcdltorhold the stamps therein, and a roller adapted to pass under the tank and the said stamp-retainer.

5. A stainp-a'llixing machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located within said frame and a means for reciprocating said portion, a tank carried by said portion, a stamp-retainer adapted to be attached to said reciprocating portion and to hold the stamps, springs located in the sides of said stamp-retainer and adapted to bear against the edges of the stamps and afollowerlocated in the upper portion of the stamp-retainer.

6. A stamp-aHiXing machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located in said frame and a means for reciprocating said portion, a tank carried by said reciprocating portion, a stamp-retainer adapted to be attached to said reciprocating )ortion and to hold the stamps, a follower iocated in said stamp-retainer and a means for moving said follower vertically when the reciprocating portion is depressed.

7. A stamp-aliixing machine consisting of a frame, a reciprocating portion located in IOO IZO

' said frame and ameans for reciprocating said ment ofthe reciprocating portion to cause 1.o portion, a .tank carried by said portion, a Said follower to move within the stamp-restampretainer adapted to be attached to tainer.

` said portion and to hold the stamps., a roller In testimony whereof I afliX my signature mounted between'pvoted arms and adapted in presence of two witnesses.

' to pass under thetank .and the stamp-relWILLIAM F. BERNHEISEL.

tainer, a follower located in said stamp-re- Witnesses: tainer and a means for moving said follower CHARLES P. CALDABAUGH, which is operated by the downward move-v SAML. SlMPsON. 

